Ontario Action Highlights
🏃🏽♂️➡️ Grassy Narrows 2024 River Run
First up at the meeting we heard from Denise, about the people of Grassy Narrows who are fighting for environmental justice. After decades of pollution and mercury contamination, 99% of their community has been severely affected.
On September 18, at Queen's Park in Toronto, walk with Grassy Narrows and community members to show solidarity. Buses are leaving on September 17 from Montreal and Ottawa. Other buses are leaving in the morning of September 18 from Hamilton, Guelph, Kingston, and Kitchener/Waterloo. Learn more about buses here.
If you're in Toronto on September 18, let us know if you would like to join our Justice for Workers contingent at the River Run.
✊🏿 Immigrant Justice and Status for All
We also heard from Diana, from the Migrant Workers' Alliance for Change. She gave us the latest update on the September 12 to 15 days of action to demand Status for All. Events are being organized by the Migrant Rights Network (MRN) to demand permanent residency for all migrants and to unite against racism. In Ontario, actions are taking place in Niagara, Ottawa, Peterborough, Sudbury and Toronto. Please join this important call to oppose racism and ensure all of us have equal protection under the law. Click here for more information about MRN's weekend events, and if you're part of the Justice for Workers campaign, let us know you'll be at an action by RSVPing here.
🏠 Housing Rights & Tenant Organizing
Bruno, with the York-South Weston Tenants' Union (YSW Tenants), told us about tenants who are fighting back against unfair rent increases. Tenants at 22 John Street in Toronto have been on rent strike against their corporate landlord Dream Unlimited since July 2023. Because the units are not subject to rent control, tenants receive yearly increases of 9% to 10% -- far more than the cost of living.
And now, as we prepare this communiqué, news is breaking that Dream Unlimited is using technology to impose massive rent increases on tenants. If you're outraged about this, click here to send an email.
As we heard at our meeting, YSW Tenants are fighting back and they need everyone's support. Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) hearings are taking place September 16, 17 & 18, where tenants are making their case against unfair rent hikes. A lot will be at stake! These hearings could have an influence on whether rent caps should exist in non rent-controlled buildings.
Tenants are asking everyone to tune-in to LTB hearings for a portion of time between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm each day. You don't need to be available the whole time over the 3 days. Even just listening in for a few minutes over a break can have a big impact. The more the public shows they're watching, the more the LTB members will feel public pressure.
The LTB has not yet released the Zoom information to join the hearings, but if you RSVP now, we will send it to you as soon as it becomes available. You can also help by downloading and putting up posters in your community.
👶 Child Care & Children’s Aid Workers
Jess is a member of CUPE 2484 and the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario. They joined the meeting to talk to us about the importance of $10/day childcare that should be making childcare more accessible for all families. But because the Ontario government's new funding formula is inadequate, some childcare centers might close while other centers are cutting the already low- and modest-wages of child care staff.
For example in Toronto, the Learning Enrichment Foundation (LEF) has cut the wages of their childcare staff in 25 of their locations by $2 an hour. Help us protect child care workers wages by sending an email now to LEF to tell them to reverse these cuts.
Andrew, a member of OPSEU 304 and a Children's Aid Society worker, underscored the importance of Ontario funding public services adequately, to ensure quality care is delivered by staff with livable wages and safe working conditions. We cannot balance the books on the backs of child care workers or Children's Aid Society workers.
🩺 Healthcare for All
Sarah, from the Decent Work & Health Network, discussed the ongoing need for universal healthcare for all regardless of immigration status. She urged us to take immediate action by sending an email to Premier Doug Ford to tell him everyone in Ontario must have equal access to the Ontario Health Insurance Program.
💪🏿 Building our movement locally
Lizzie (Ottawa), Susan (Guelph), and Olivia (Toronto) shared updates from their own local Justice for Workers organizing experiences. They emphasized the need for outreach, one-on-one follow-up, and organizing local events so new people can plug into the movement, build skills, and strengthen our decent work networks. For upcoming local events, please visit the Justice for Workers event page here.
If you missed our Decent Work Organizing meeting last week, you can watch a recording of it here.
